In April, Apple lost its tussle with Epic Games, after a US federal count ruled to allow third-party links in the apps without any upcharge. Apple, obviously displeased with the decision, tried to appeal their case, but it was rejected by the US appeals court, taking another loss.
Apple attempted to appeal its case at the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, but it was rejected. The Appeals court mentioned in their decision [PDF] that they were “not persuaded”. It further added that blocking the current ruling wouldn’t be the right step to take after carefully considering all aspects.
Apple spokesperson Olivia Dalton had this to say on the decision, “As we’ve said before, we strongly disagree with the district court’s opinion. Our goal is to ensure the App Store remains an incredible opportunity for developers and a safe and trusted experience for our users”.
Before the April ruling, Apple would impose a 27% fee on third-party purchases using a link within an app. This is why apps like Kindle wouldn’t include an option to buy books from the app directly. The Cupertino giant also discouraged users from making external payments, showing a warning in the App Store itself.
However, after the April 30th ruling, all these restrictions were lifted. In reaction to this, many apps like Kindle and Spotify quickly feature payment links. Even Fortnite made a comeback on the App Store. The decision didn’t sit well with Apple. With their appeal has been rejected, it will be difficult for the company to overturn the decision in their favor.
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